Mabilog finally gets wish as Iloilo is spared by 'Pablo'

Even if spared by Typhoon Pablo, Iloilo City was still placed under a state of calamity for a different reason: water shortage.

Amid tension between members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod during yesterday’s session, a resolution to declare the entire city under a state of calamity due to water shortage or crisis was unanimously approved.

The resolution, sponsored by Committee on Social Services chairman Councilor Rodel Agado, and co-sponsored by Joshua Alim, was crafted after the request of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog during last week’s session of the SP.

Among the 14 councilors, only Jeffrey Ganzon voted “no” for the passage of the resolution while David Jamora and Edward Yee abstained from voting.

The decision of the SP was made after records from the Metro Iloilo Water District revealed that 56 out of 180 villages are “unserved” or have no water distribution.

As of October 2012, MIWD data showed that these areas are mostly in Molo, Arevalo, La Paz and Mandurriao districts with 172,000 residents or 39 percent of the city’s total population affected.

Of the affected areas, only 13 have access to water tankers of the MIWD, said Agado.

Of the 56 villages, 33 have submitted a resolution asking for assistance and declaration of state of calamity.

Agado said, based on Memorandum Order No. 4-1998 of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (now National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council), local government units may declare a state of calamity “when two or more barangays are affected by a disaster through the Sangguniang Panlungsod, upon the recommendation of the municipal/city mayor.”

He said the same memorandum states that the city could declare a calamity if “at least 20 percent of the population are affected and in need of emergency assistance or dwelling units have been destroyed.”

Prior to the declaration, Ganzon suggested that a public hearing be conducted.

He said, declaring a state of calamity may bring a negative impact on the tourism industry.

“It will give a wrong signal to our future investors,” he said.

Councilor Perla Zulueta, chairperson of the committee on appropriations, meanwhile assured that this will not affect the business sector, but will solve the problem, saying “even hotels and establishment get their water from private concessionaires.”

With the declaration, Zulueta, said the city can now use about P724,000 in unprogrammed contingency fund for emergency purchases.

Zulueta said currently, the city’s has P151,802,731 for its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) accumulated from 2009.

Based on Republic Act 10121 or the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Law of 2009, not less than five percent of the estimated revenue from regular sources of a local government unit is set aside as LDRRMF to support risk reduction and management activities.

She added that 70 percent of the LDRRMF shall be allocated to preparedness, mitigation, recovery and rehabilitation while the remaining 30 percent will be considered as Quick Response Fund (QRF).

Earlier, the mayor through his liaison officer Jeffrey Celiz, said that the city has been experiencing the problem on water supply since 2009, but the situation got worse due to the delay of the supposed bulk water supply distribution of the MIWD through FloWater.

MIWD General Manager Le Jayme Jalbuena, meanwhile, clarified that aside from the delayed bulk water supply, the growing number of the city’s population and businesses also contributed to the rising demand of water supply.

To help augment its water capability, he said the MIWD has opened two underground water facilities in Cabatuan town which will benefit the municipality of Sta. Barbara, Pavia and some parts of Iloilo City.

Jalbuena said that FloWater is expected to operate on January 2013.*